Hand-grenade



H. P. DAVIS HAND GRENADE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 23. I917.

Patented May13, 1919.

INVENTOR fiw/y fla /2:

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

mu 1 DAVIS, or rfrrsnunen, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'ro WESTINGHOUSEELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

nANn-enENAnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 23, 1917. Serial No. 203,534.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY P. DAvIs, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county ofAlleghenyand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Hand-Grenades, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hand grenades, andit has for its object toprovidea safety device for the percussion firing means usually employedin such apparatus by means of which the danger of premature explosionwill be substantially eliminated.

In a copending patent application of comprises a member that issupported in unstable equilibrium when the hand grenade is thrown, thefiring device being actuated to ignite the explosive charge when themember is displaced from its unstable position. Such an arrangement isextremely delicate and there is a possibility that the grenade willexplode prematurely when it is thrown, particularly if the thrower jerkshis arm and thereby imparts a shock to it.

By my invention, I provide a safety device for preventing premature.explosion of a hand grenade without impairing the effectiveness of thefiring device.

The single figure of the accompanying drawing is a transverse sectionalView of a hand grenade embodying my invention.

The hand grenade comprises a casing or shell 1 that is provided withcoaxial openings 2 and 3. An inwardly projecting annular flange 50surrounds the opening 3, and a cup-shaped member 51, preferably composedof relatively light compressed metal, is supported by the flange 50 andis held within the casing 1 by a cap 7 which is in threaded engageinentwith the opening 2. The bottom of the member 51 is provided with acentrally loea'ted'opening 52, and the opening 3 in the shell 1 isinternally threaded to receive a screw plu 19 of cup shape in which issupported a etonating cartridge 20. The car- Oompany, is shown anddetridge 20 is preferably of the centerfire type,

Patented May 13, 1919.

with its firing portion located immediatelyf below the opening 52. Theupper portion of the flange 50 is provided with side openings 53 whichcommunicate with the chamber 23 tu-re 24,

A firing pin 54 is located within the memher 51 and is provided, at itslower end, with a tapered portion 55 which -is adapted to strike thefiring portion of the cartridge 20 when released. A disk or plate 56 ismounted on the firing pin 54 immediately above the tapered portion 55 tobe e'ngagedby one end of helical spring 57, the other end of whichengages the inner end of the cap 7. The fir-.

in-g pin 54 is further provided with a groove 58 which is located withinan eccentrically disposed recess 59in the cap 7.

A hollow cylindrical weight 60 surrounds the firing pin 54 and is alsopartially located in the recess 59. A pin 61 projects from the wall ofthe recess 59 through an opening 62 60 within which is located anexplosive mixthat is provided in the weight 60 and engages the shoulderon the firlng pin 54 that is formed by the groove 58, thus maintainingthe firing pin 54 in its retracted position and the spring 57 undercompression. The projecting portion of the pin 61 is preferably ofreduced cross section and of curved contour longitudinally except at itsinner end, for a purpose that will hereinafter be set'forth.

A safety pin 37 projects into a recess 63 that is provided in thefi'ring pin 54 and serves to hold the firing pin coaxially with respectto the member 51, an expelling spring being interposed between the headof the pin and the bottom of the recess 39 in which it is located. Thecap 7 is provided with :1. laterally projecting annular flange 4 whidhis engaged by the bent-over portion 65 of a strap 66, the other end ofwhich is secured.

to a projection 43 on the casing 1', as by a cotter pin 44. When thecotter pin 44 is withdrawn, the strap 66 springs away from the casingand the portion 65 is disengaged from the flange 4. i

When the parts are assembled as described above, the firing mechanism-iscooked by forcing the plate 56 upwardly, against the action of thespring 57 until the end of the.

pin 61 engages the :groove 58 in the firing pm. In this position. themember 60 is in a state of unstable equilibrium and any shock that isreceivedby the casing l after the pin On account of the eccentricrelation of 5 the firing" pin 54 and the member 60, when these parts arein locking relation, and the size and form of that portion of the pin 61which "projects into the recess 59, the rela- I tively heavy member 60will be tilted insome one of several directions to release the firingpin when the flight of the shell is arrested by impact with any objector surface, ,such tilting action being effected in every instance ofimpact Whatever may be the portion of the shell that comes in engagementwith a body or surface.

The above described parts form no part of the present invention but arefully described and claimed in the above-mentioned copendingapplication. I will now proceed to describe my invention with relationto the above described parts, although it is to be understood that itmay be as readily applied to other similar firing mechanisms for handgrenades. I

' It will be noted that the recess 63 in the firing pin 54 is of reaterdiameter than the hole 67 in the cap A ball 68 is located in the recess63 and a spring 69 is interposed between it and the bottom of the recess63.

So long as the safety pin 37 is held inposition, the ball 68 is locatednear the bottom of the recess 63 but, when the safety pin is withdrawn,the spring 69 Will force the ball 68 outwardly and maintain it partiallywithin each of the recess 63 and the hole' 67.

In this position, the ball 68 may be displaced only by a distinct shockand not by any gyratory motion such as might be impartedto 40 the handgrenade as it leaves the hand of the thrower. The factor of safetyagainst such premature explosions of the grenade as might be caused bydisplacement of the firing pin during the flight of the grenade is thusmaterially increased. The employment of the .ball 68 in no wisedecreases the effectiveness of the firing mechanism, but only renders itless sensitive to slight shocks which it might receive prior to, orduring, 10 its flight.

While I have shown my invention in a simple and preferred form asapplied to a particular type of firing mechanism for hand grenades, itis not so limited but is susceptible of various modifications within thescope of the appended claims.

I clalm as my invention;v

1. In a hand grenade, the combination with a spring-actuated firingdevice, a member for releasing said firing device that is supported inunstable equilibrium, and means for locking said firing device in asafety position, ofmeans for maintaining said firing device in itssafety position against the action of said member after the said lockingmeans is removed and until the flight of the grenade is arrested.

2. In a hand grenade, the combination with aspring-actuated firingdevice, a member for releasing said firing device that is supported inunstable equilibrium, and a spring-actuated pin for normally lockin saidfiring device in a safety position, 0 means for maintaining said firingdevice in its safety position against the action of said member afterthe locking pin is withdrawn and until the flight of the grenade isarrested.

3. In a hand grenade, the combination Y with a spring-actuated firingdevice, a member for releasing said firing device that is supported inunstable equilibrium, and a spring-actuated pin for normally lockingsaid firing device in a' safety position, a

.spring-actuated ball for maintaining said firing. device in its safetyposition against the action of said member after the locking pin iswithdrawn and until the flight of said grenade is arrested.

4. In a hand grenade, the combination with a casing, a'spring-actuatedfiring device located within said casing, a member for releasing saidfirin device that is supported in unstable equil brium, and aspring-actuated pin for normally lockin said firing device in a safetyposition, 0 a spring-actuated ball adapted to be maintained between saidfiring device and said casing for holding said firing device in itssafety position against the action of said member after the locking pinis withdrawn and until the flight of said grenade is arrested.

5. In a hand grenade, the combination with a casing, a spring-actuatedfiring device located within said casing and provided with means formaintaining its actuating spring under compression, a' member forreleasing said firing device that is supported in unstable equilibrium,and a spring-actuated pin for normally maintaining said firing device ina safety position, of a springactuated ball adapted to be forced betweensaid firing deviceand said casing for maintaining said device in itssafety positionagainst the action of said member when saidspring-actuated pin is withdrawn.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day ofNov.

' HARRY P. DAVIS.

